1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to devices for supporting a user and, in particular, to a grab bar.
2. Description of Related Art
Grab bars mounted to walls conventionally provide a longitudinal bar extending between end sections which mount to the wall. A user may grip the longitudinal bar with their hand for support and assistance in standing and maneuvering. Some grab bars have been designed for compliance with the American Disability Act (ADA).
Some grab bars have longitudinal bars that are not completely enclosed. Such grab bars permit items to be stored or hidden from view within the longitudinal bar, and thus are not suitable for use in prisons, juvenile detention facilities, courthouses, jails, hospitals, institutions, mental health units, community homes and other facilities where the storage of certain items is prohibited.
Some wall mounted grab bars have underside plates extending from the underside of the longitudinal bar to the wall to prevent a rope from being looped around the longitudinal bar in an attempt to inhibit use of the grab bar in committing suicide. However, such grab bars do not prevent a rope from being placed longitudinally adjacent the longitudinal bar atop or above the underside plate between the longitudinal bar and the wall. Thus, such grab bars are not fully effective in inhibiting attempts to commit suicide.
Some wall mounted grab bars include endplates that slope downward and away from the wall between the wall and the longitudinal bar at both ends of the grab bar to prevent a rope from being looped longitudinally adjacent the longitudinal bar about the grab bar. However, such endplates do not prevent a rope from being looped around the longitudinal bar itself.
A grab bar with both an underside plate and endplates at both ends of the grab bar suffers from difficulty in draining fluid that accumulates atop the underside plate. Fluid accumulation can encourage bacterial growth and increase the likelihood of the transmission of infectious diseases, particularly in institutional settings, thereby posing a health risk. Thus, such grab bars are unsuitable for use wherever a fluid may be present, such as in showers, washrooms and areas where food, drink or waste may spill near the grab bar, including in hospitals and similar institutions. Providing drainage through a gap between the underside plate and the wall or between the underside plate and the endplates impairs the ability of the grab bar to inhibit the committing of suicide by permitting wire, thin rope or thread to pass through the gap.
Thus, there is a need for a grab bar that is operable to provide support and assistance to users, inhibits injury and provides fluid drainage.